We're fans of the Ford Focus ST and, before long, the Fiesta will get its own ST variant. But what about the 2013 Ford Fusion? Ford already offers the midsize sedan with five engines including a 240-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4, but the all-wheel-drive variant's 6.8-second 0-60 mph time might leave some enthusiasts wanting more. So we want to hear from you: Should Ford build a low-volume Fusion ST?

The last-generation Ford Fusion may have had a V-6 variant, but it lacked a high-performance model like previous variants of the Taurus, when that car was a midsize sedan. None of the midsize sedan class leaders -- the Camry, Accord, and Altima -- have a truly high-performance sporty variant, so a Fusion ST might be in a class of one.The Lincoln MKZ's available V-6 is one of its distinguishing features from the Fusion, suggesting a Fusion ST might have to use a more powerful version of its EcoBoost 2.0-liter I-4, along with a few suspension modifications and visual upgrades.

When the 2013 Ford Fusion 2.0 EcoBoost is loaded with all of its available premium options, the price swells well past $35,000. The 2013 Fusion is already offered with 2.5-liter I-4, turbo 1.6-liter I-4, turbo 2.0-liter I-4, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid powertrains. What do you think: Is there room in the 2013 Ford Fusion lineup for an ST variant? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

Yes, swap out the crank, head, and turbo from the Mustang and you've got 300+ hp and 30+ mpg in the Fusion. You can already buy turbo upgrades to put the 2.0 past 300 hp, but the twin scroll from the stang has better low end torque (not to mention factory warranty). In that configuration, I can't not buy it.

The problem is that Ford needs to figure a way to get something like the ST badge onto Lincolns, which are just pathetic right now. They botched the redesign of the MKZ if you ask me (the ostensibly non-luxury Fusion is the more refined-looking of the two). And Lincoln needs something to set it apart from the likes of Infiniti, Acrua, and Volvo. Ford knows how to do tuner versions of its small-ish vehicles (I've heard the Taurus SHO is sort of meh), so you might wind up seeing an MKZ GT (or whatever badge they decide to use) before a Fusion ST. Lord knows there's money to be made in midsize performance luxury sedans.

I guess for me I'm still trying to even wrap my head about this, only because when I think of Fusion I still, but rarely now (yay), still think of the previous year and couldn't see that getting an ST badge. However, due to new face lift on the Fusions I think it would be a great idea. It would really be smart if it's believed that this will be the only vehicle of its type in the class, such as how previously mentioned it would be against the non-existent Malibu SS.

I agree with Kevin...as a package: drop the weight, tighten the suspension, use the brakes from the Mustang GT, and throw some wide sticky shoes on there (275/35R19 would give it over 1g on skidpad). Wouldn't cost any REAL R&D to do this. If you want to go for broke (Ford should milk this great looking platform for all that it's worth and as long as they can) toss the SHO V6 and a battle tested Tremac TKO in there...no need for a costly 6-speed with that much power, just make 5th longer than normal for hwy cruise and MPG estimates. Can you imagine how many BMW converts who always wanted to be able afford an Aston or M5 you'll have with a RWD car that weighs in around 3200lbs, outputs 365bhp (low 4sec 0-60 easy) and is nimble and grippy for 10k less than the cheapest base 528i???? You're talking Panamera Turbo performance on an American product! HELLO FORD ARE YOU LISTENING??!?!

It may just be a better idea to focus on vehicle weight rather than extra power. Shed a few hundred pounds from bloated modern cars and both efficiency and performance improve. I love performance models just like the next guy, but vehicle weight has eaten up efficiency and the increased average vehicle horsepower across the industry.

Or: go for it Ford, add fifty or so HP and then add a few hundred more pounds, and don't make it a proper rear-wheel drive either. Why not, you already make seven different trim levels, what's one more.

The Ford Fusion sport was a great looking car, Factory Body kit, great wheels, big horsepower V6, but with all the bad NO MANUAL Transmission. Sorry but like the rest of die hard gear heads, to call a "Sport" requires a manual. I drove a 13 Fusion SE and loved it, road great, whisper quiet and would love to see a Fusion ST come out. I would so buy one but like everything else Ford prolly has this dumb idea to put a Automatic and a weak motor. FORD right car but give us a V6 over 330HP and close to 330 LBS of Torque. (Horsepower Sells but Torque Pulls) and back it up with equal length CV shafts and a MANUAL. Then you have plenty of Buyers. Thats Way too easy to get rigth Ford.

Strange to see people saying that a high performance variant of this car would be a competitor for the new SS.... not really. The Taurus SHO would be in that class. The Fusion is in a class with the Malibu, but no Malibu SS exists. Instead, a high performance Fusion would go up against the S4, 335is, etc.

Wouldn't it be nice if EVERY car manufacturer was able to make the specific model us enthusiats would like? But the fact is, there is little market for such a car in today's automotive world ...

No the business case is not there .. wouldn't you rather see FORD spend the money on a four door version of the upcoming Mustang for Lincoln? Which car do you think would sell more and/or make a profit for FORD?

It's been a very long time since I got this excited about a new car, but I'm driving a brand new 2013 Focus I got as a rental and I'm loving it. First, because it came fully loaded and also because the car shows great potential. I'm driving the 1.6 version but I'm considering ordering a 2.0 AWD but only if I can get it with a 6 speed manual gearbox. Maybe as a special order?

Anyway, I can only imagine that a RS version of the Fusion would be great, but a Cosswort would be even better.

I think some automotive companies spend too much R&D and work on models that won't make them any huge profit or professional gain. One example is the Lexus LS460. Such a greatly styled car with so many technologies but not selling in the amounts that they hoped for. What a shame to put that much work in a car and not realize any big gains from it. Another example is keeping the Taurus. It was a bit faulty to begin with. Instead of its latest upgrades in 2012 why didn't they use the time and money to build the Fusion ST? One thing for sure is that the Fusion is about 300lbs or so lighter than the Taurus so, with the same 3.5Ecoboost they would realize much better performance. As one reader said, the 3.5Ecoboost won't fit the Fusion. Ford, just spend your money on the 2.3Ecoboost on the Fusion ST and stop wasting your energy and valuable profits and drop the present Taurus already until the next Fusion based Taurus is ready. The Fusion ST to me would seem like a winner if they can sell it for $10,000 less than an Audi S4.

Build a Fusion AWD ST with the 2.3 EcoBoost engine and then a Fusion AWD SHO with the 3.5 EcoBoost Engine. I love the styling of the Fusion, but its not up to the performance for what I want in a sport sedan.

Before the redesign, Ford's high performance of the Fusion was called the Fusion Sport. It had the 260+ hp 3.5L V6, which is in the base V-6 Taurus. If Ford plays this right, they have to get the right engine, and also make it relatively fuel efficient. I know some enthusiasts couldn't care about that statement, but that's usually the way Ford plays it. I know the 2.0L turbo I-4 that's currently in the top level Fusions and Escapes is also in the Land Rover Evoque. (I think they share that powertrain before Ford sold Rover Group (Jaguar and Range Rover) off to Tata). Can they do the same with the 3.0L Supercharged V6 that's available in the Jaguar XF AWD? (330+). That's the big question, the powertrain Like many others -- if Ford makes the Fusion ST as a poor man's Taurus SHO, count a lot of potential buyers in.

I definetly feel that they should make a Fusion ST. The Focus ST has recieved a lot of great reviews so they should definetly work their majic on the midsize Fusion. Even though they do not directly compete, i thought it would be interesting to see a Fusion ST or Fusion SHO do battle with the 2014 Chevrolet SS. But thats just a thought. :)

The answer is a resounding YES, they should!! With the Fusion, we already have a pretty sporty looking car. Now, it just needs a little performance to back up those looks. An ST with AWD and a 6 speed manual transmission would garner a lot of enthusiasm for sure, which can't be bad for the brand.

ABSOLUTELY YES!!!!! Build a 300 hp awd version, keep it at 40K with all options and sign me up! I'd buy one today. I think this would shake up the sedan market and be a home run for Ford. Make it the poor mans Audi/BMW.

As owner of an ought seven merc milan premier with the manual trans/2.3L., i YEARN for essentially the same car, but with some major additions. First, wagonify it, without giving me the crossover-based edge. The Edge is a decent car, but not for me, too much coefficient of drag if you know what i mean. Then, add a high pressure turbo, six speed manual and an AWD option. essentially, this becomes a V70R, but without all the unreliability. my milan has 120k with NO PROBLEMS. cant beat that. The new fusion is probably the best looking car for less than $60, 000. Even the bimmers and new mercedes dont look that good at twice the price. A Fusion ST wagon variant is probably the only thing that will get me back into the showroom. Otherwise, i will just drive my perfectly reliable milan until it returns to the earth. It would be a good way for ford to offer each of its regular models with a 'hot' trim. Fiesta, focus, taurus, mustang, explorer, edge, flex, f150 all have one, why not the fusion? seems only logical...O, and keep the price below $35,000 by eliminating all the driver distraction devices, better known as "options" that unnecessarily run the price up.

An emphatic yes. The ST vehicles are Ford's most interesting cars, and the Fusion is the best looking midsize sedan right now, maybe ever. With an already driver friendly interior and sporty feel it seems like a no brainer to have an even sportier variant. They would have to remove some of the comfort based equipment, to keep the price and weight down. But I can just see the Fusion with that ST mesh grille and around 300hp, AWD, six-speed manual... just talking about it gives me a car'd on. Ford, Fusion ST please build it.

I would say by all means yes, but I am not sure what engine would make most sense. They could just up the PSI on the current 2.0L turbo, but that probably would drop the time to the low 6 range at best, so I would be hoping to see the 3.5 Ecoboost that is on the SHO. Considering the 0-60 time on the Accord V-6 is in the high 5's, they need an engine that would justify a price that could easily get to 40K, and that engine would accomplish that mission.

Put the 5.0 under the hood w/ AWD and they'd have something to take on the Chevy SS. The 2.3 Ecoboost would definitely be the more logical choice though. Although it would cannibalize the Taurus SHO, the 3.5 Ecoboost would make this thing extremely quick.

It would HAVE to come in starting at no more than the top price of 35k. If it started at 30k, albeit with less features, then yeah it makes sense. Should lose some weight in trying for an ST though. IF it somehow stuck the 5.0L V8 in, then ok 35k$ is a go.

Build a Fusion ST with the 2.3 Ecoboost from the upcoming eurospec Mustang. Then an RS with the SHO engine and AWD.

As for Lincoln.... since someone else mentioned this being the final nail in the coffin... I would like to see them rebuild Lincoln from the ground up using RWD platforms, and a new, upscale yet muscular styling language. Not that I really see that as a possibility... but I think that's the level of "reset", if you will, that Lincoln needs.

I think the answer has to be: Yes if Ford wants to put a final nail in Lincoln's coffin. With a Fusion ST with the MKZ's V6 engine in it (and presumably some content to justify the increase in price) the MKZ would lose what little relevance it has left. The other Lincoln products struggle for relevancy when put up against their Ford cousins.

Ford needs to pump some SERIOUS cash into Lincoln R/D like...yesterday. If anything, I think that GM (and Cadillac) are proving that you can be a luxury American brand and still appeal to a wide audience range. You can still have economical vehicles (current ATS and I'm sure the forthcoming CTS will set new economy standards for itself too) that are rear-wheel drive.

EMERGENCY PLAN:

Make the Ford Edge available ONLY with the Ecoboost and the 3.5L engines and essentially get rid of the Sport trim (same for Explorer only leave a 3.5L V6 as the top shelf engine in the Explorer) and the 3.7L engine option. On the Lincoln side, the MKX should ONLY be available with a base 3.7L V6 and the 3.5L Ecoboost V6 from the SHO. I guess leave the Fusion/MKZ's as is since they're so new. As weird as it might sound, Ford needs to de-content some of their cars or differentiate them from their Lincoln brothers MUCH better. The MKZ/Fusion are TOO similar in every way. I think a good example would be the current Toyota Avalon/Lexus ES. They look way less similar than the Fusion/MKZ and they drive differently (unfortunately for Lexus, that's not a good thing apparently but wtv). Ford needs to take the RWD platform for the next gen Mustang (the one that will finally have an independent rear suspension) and modify it to produce a Lincoln vehicle to battle w/ the ATS. Just do it Ford. Call it the MKC or whatever but you need a RWD vehicle (and a sports sedan) badly! Have the base engine be the 2.0L Ecoboost from the Fusion with the 3.7L V6 from the current gen Mustang being the top shelf engine. MAYBE find someway to shoehorn a larger engine than a 3.7L V6 under the hood so that it can do battle with the upcoming ATS-V. Unlike GM, do NOT stick a naturally aspirated 2.5L under the hood. Just leave it at the two!

I read (I think it was in MT) that Lincoln refused to provide an MKZ tester for a comparsion w/ an Avalon and Azera. News flash Lincoln: as long as your "luxury" division has no RWD entry level sport sedan nor a RWD mid-sized sport sedan in your line up, NOBODY will ever think of you on the same level as Lexus or Infiniti much less Cadillac, BMW, Benz or Audi. I think an MKZ with the 3.7L could MAYBE be compared w/ an Acura TL 3.7 and Volvo S60 T6 but that's about as far as you get Lincoln. If you want to play with the big boys (congrats Caddy b/c you've reached big boy status) then you better start wearing big boy pants.

I think that Ford should do it. Give it that Focus St front design and give it the 2.3 Ecoboost I4 thats coming in the future. Also give it a color that makes it stand out. Lastly have the Fusion ST come with standard all wheel drive and price it around 32,000. That would make the Fusion stand out even more.

It would be relatively easy for Ford to do it. Basically toss a bigger engine in and a sport package thing and body kit and voila, a Ford Fusion ST! Really they should try to compete with the Chevy SS though, a RWD sedan!

As the owner of a former rental Taurus (incredibly reliable, starting to rust), I've wondered why anyone would ever buy a Taurus SHO. Wouldn't you just get a Mustang? The Fusion has kind of taken over the Taurus's segment, so as with the SHO, I wonder why anyone would want a Fusion ST. I'm an older guy, but I subscribe to Honda Tuning, like the hothatch concept, and would definitely consider a Focus ST. Why shouldn't a US carmaker compete in this segment? But I think Fiesta ST, Focus ST and Mustang more than covers the sporty market.